To Suffer in Silence
by Jesus.Lives
Summary: Longerbee. He had always wanted nothing but her happiness. He'd just always thought she'd be happiest with him. He never thought he'd have to say it, even if he could. A sad oneshot.
1. Chapter 1

_The words "Ba Sing Se" really bother me. Because in the show it's said "ba sing sai" (like say) but "se" in Chinese is Ba Sing ummm... Se. Like "sssssss.ah" (well a little)._

_I'm rambling but the pronounciation is all off. Or is it just me? Or is it not even real Chinese? It could be guangdong hua?_

_I don't know. (shakes head). Anyone else perplexed PM me._

**This is a story drabbled when Charleegirl and I were talking about her story and I suggested Smellerbee for Aang's other woman. Of course, knowing it'd never work with Smellerbee and an actual character from the show, I just added an OC.**

_So I don't own Smellerbee or Longshot, but I guess I own Xin Wei... not that we know anything about him in this fic. :D_

-----------------------

**Set post-war. **

**Longshot discovers that the girl he loves never knew how he felt... and vain assumptions has now taken him to the point where it is too late to do anything but suffer in silence.**

**Get your tissues out.**

------------------------

He suffered in silence when they met.

Xin Wei from the Lower Eastern side.

They had fought in the war at the Fire Nation, but now had their home in Ba Sing Se, where they could keep a close eye on Jet in rehabilitation.

She wasn't beating boys off with a broom, but he was always by her side watching her like a hawk. He was suprised she never caught on.

He thought she had, until she told him about Xin Wei and as her face conveyed a kind of nonchalant excitement, he listened and stood there for moral support as she didn't notice the way his face turned overcast or the way a thousand pound weight had just been added to his heart and left it floating down to the bottom of his stomach somewhere.

He suffered in silence as the weeks passed and she would be out for dinners and he would be there when she would get home. To listen. To share the close bond that they had while they still could.

And suffered still, when she came running home that night to tell him about the new arrangement.

They were so young and had only known each other for a few weeks, but the end of the war had meant spring fever for a lot of people and couples weren't waiting so long to get married anymore; celebrating their new found freedom with matrimony. Longshot had never thought of himself marrying. But he didn't think of her marrying either. Much too official.

He thought they would just stay and have a quiet life, and a happy life together - forgetting their pasts and moving on.

He shouldn't have waited so long, but he thought she knew.

For years after Jet was taken the first time, and then returned; she would huddle up in his arms, whisper a husky "thanks, Longshot" which seemed to mean a lot of things for both of them and let him tenderly stroke her back until morning.

He thought she would always be his, but then came the realization that night when he discovered she never was his.

"Xin Wei and I are getting married." She said casually as she came in and put her back up against the door.

Longshot nodded his head in understanding and although she never noticed the understanding went much deeper than just the acknowledgement of words.

He shyed his face away from hers and she reached out to grab his arm. "Longshot, I know you don't want to talk about this..." her voice was urgent "but I do..."

His eyes met hers and for an instant everything he'd wanted to express over the years came tumbling out.

"Well, why didn't you ever say anything?" She said finally finding her throat. She was always so blunt. He wasn't.

His eyes lowered. He thought he did.

"There's more ways to say things then just a look" she pouted her bottom lip out at him, fresh tears suddenly forming on her face.

And that's when he took her in his arms again and beneath the smell of his old clothes, his comfortable smile, she squirmed herself away. "It's too late, Longshot."

He was no longer suffering in silence. Now he was just suffering...

-------------------

Continue... yes/no?


	2. Happy ending

Without you, nothing defines me

And I'm slipping away it's only you that can find me

- Brand New Low; Treble Charger

------------------------------------------

He was no longer suffering in silence. Now he was just suffering...

She put her hands on her hips. She still wore her breastplate, but the lower parts of the city were still not safe, even after the war. Riches could not come back to the downtrodden so easily.

They were still the downtrodden, even after everything.

So that was it. She was getting married.

Longshot would always be strong. He would never cry. He never cried for his village when he was just a small boy and it got burnt to the ground by the Fire Nation. He and a few other kids survived, but too shocked to cry, he stood strong and brave with the younger children and lowered his hat.

Smellerbee was confused. She liked Xin Wei. Certainatly he was the first boy to notice she was a girl... since him.

She knew he never stopped noticing she was a girl, but she couldn't wait around forever. She didn't want to wait around forever.

But she still didn't know why it hurt so much.

Part of her wanted to be a girl. Part of her still wanted to be that smelly little runt, with a huge head on top of her stick body with marks across the cheeks - then taking up her entire face so much that they called her 'bee' because of it; and who ran around weilding knives at the other freedom fighters until Jet taught her to fight and taught her to be like him... a hero.

It had hit her like being in front of steam roller, when she considered this.

All this time, she had been looking for something she already had.

She wanted to hit him, to get the frustration out and she did. He stood there as she balled her fists and pounded them on his chest.

It packed quite a punch but Longshot stood like a rock, physically unphased, emotionally still wanting to be there for her for anything she needed... even if it was a punching bag.

She finally stopped and looked at him hard, beneath her bandanna, faded clothing and dark circles under her eyes.

And from that hard look, quickly elevated herself and pressed her lips to his.

Longshot's eyes widened expressively.

I thought it was too late.

She ignored his silent words. It had been far to long.

"I'm not who Xin Wei thinks I am. I'm not a..." she searched for the words... "real girl."

As his lips found hers again she got the answer in expression that was more than just with the eyes.

She _was_ a real girl.

She had always been a real girl.

And he loved that about her.

As she had fallen into his arms a second time, they held another kiss and then she asked. "So, Longshot. Do y'think we'll get married?"

He shrugged and held her closer. Whatever she wanted to do was alright with him.

"It might be nice..." she pondered aloud, fiddling with a finger through her glove, but her thoughts were silenced by another kiss as a relieved Longshot claimed the prize he'd thought he'd lost.

--------------------------

Sob!

I :heart: Longerbee so very, very much. Almost as much as feedback.

Stupid Xin Wei. Why are you getting in the way of our favourite ship? Why? Everyone beat up on the new guy. :D


End file.
